Trinkets More Than A Link To Elvis Many Collectors Finding Value In Their Memories Of The King

August 16, 1987|By Jim Nesbitt of The Sentinel Staff

MEMPHIS — Elvis always has meant big merchandising bucks.

In 1956, the first year of Elvis mania, Elvis Presley Enterprises netted more than $22 million in souvenir sales in less than six months, according to Lee Cotten, author of The Elvis Catalog, a survey of Elvis memorabilia.

Many older items, such as the 'Hound Dog' plastic guitar and the 'Love Me Tender' record album pin, were targeted to specific Elvis hits. Elvis charm bracelets were sold in record stores.

Today those items mark the starting point for the collector, Cotten said.

''People remember a specific song and remember something like the charm bracelet that was sold along with the record,'' Cotten said. ''Once they get hooked they go for anything. The sky's the limit.''

Or the Elvis felt skirt. Cotten says only two are known to exist. They once sold for $5. Now each is worth $1,500.

Try the Elvis Presley board game. It used to sell for $3.49. It now goes for $150. Or the Lady In Waiting medallion -- a fan club giveaway from the time Elvis was in the Army. It sells for $30 today.

Cotten said collectors trade and sell items through the classified ads of fan club magazines or at commemorative events pegged to Elvis' birth or death. The popularity of Elvis memorabilia has prompted merchandisers to produce new and different items each year.

Collectible plates and whiskey decanters have escalated in value though most were produced after his death.

Who would buy such stuff?

Try a true believer like Patty Lea Smitley, 52, of Waynesburg, Pa. A grandmother and wife of a coal miner, she spent $800 during a two-day blitz of Graceland.

She collects Elvis decanters at $150 or $200 apiece. On this trip, she bought more than $300 worth of Elvis videos.

''I'd rather spend the money on fishing gear,'' said Elmer, her husband. ''But if it makes her happy, let her get it. That's why we're here.''